Device for feeding filaments and similar articles



Aug. 3, 1937 2,089,055

' DEVICE FOR FEEDING FILAMENTS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES J. FLAWS, JR

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1934 Aug. 3, 1937. JjFLAws. JR

- DEVICE FOR FEEDING FILAMENTS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1934 INS/EN? :73 JUHN FL AW 5.

.525 Arr 031x222.

3, 1937. TJ. FLAWS, JR 2,089,055

DEVICE FOR FEEDING FILAMENTS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed'Ma rch 22, 19:54 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .5 25 AT 2" 032x222";

Patented Au 3, 1937 UNITED STATES omen ron rnnnmc. mam-rs sun SIMILAR ARTICLES 151m Flaws, Jr., Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assign General or to of New York I Application March 22,

Electric Company, a corporation 1934,-Serlal No. 716,813

My invention relates to devices'for feeding wires, rods, tubes or similar articles and more particularly to the feeding of lengths of such articles one at a time from a pile thereof. My

' invention is particularly useful for feeding coiled filaments for incandescent lamps. Such filaments are usually quite small and quite-flexible so that they have a tendency to pack together in a pile and become very dimcult to separate.

To facilitate feeding, the filaments are disposed in a pile parallel to one another and are handled as carefully as possible. Even though much care is expended the filaments have a tendency to become entwined and tangled together so that if 5 one .is lifted, others often hang thereto. Ex-

treme care must be taken not to bend or injure the filaments particularly as said filaments are usuallycoated with "getter."

, The principal object of my invention is to provide a device for effectively picking up coiled filaments oneat a time from a pile thereof. To effect this object, I provide jaws for entering into a pile of filaments and gripping one of said filaments, and means for carrying said jaws to and 5 from said pile. Another object of my invention is to provide means for increasing the probability of said jaws picking up a filament from the pile. In order to do this I prefer to provide one jaw with a plurality of notches or'pockets therein,

30 any one of which may engage a filament, and a second jaw which passes across said notches successively until it comes to a notch within which a filament is disposed, said filament being 'then clamped in said notch, and filaments which may 35 be disposed in succeeding notches remain in the pile upon the subsequent withdrawal of the jaws from said pile. This feature provides continuous feeding at all times and eliminates filament jams in the pile. Another object of my invention is 0 to provide means for feeding a sufficient number of filaments for a long period of operation and to providea number of pilesof said filaments which are automatically brought to the feeding 45 position successively. This object is accomplished by disposing a pile of filaments in each of a plurality of containers mounted on a turret and providing means for indexing said turret. Qther objects and features of my invention will 5 appear from the detailed description which follows of a species thereof and from the accomli nylng drawings. The particularspecies of my invention described in detail hereafter is designed to be attached to a machine for automati- 55 cally mounting incandescent lamp filaments such as that disclosed in Patent 1,907,532-Flaws, is-

sued May 9, 1933. I g

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device for feeding incandescent lamp filaments with a portion thereof broken away and 6 carried to one side; Fig. 2 is a perspective view; of the turret therefor and its indexing mechanism; Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation partially in section ofthe device at the feeding position showing the relative location of the various parts; 10

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through the filament bucket adjacent the pick-up jaws which are shown at the position of their maximum penetration therein; Fig. 5 is a perspective exploded view of the pick-up jaw asseml5 bly; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a'turret bucket or container for filaments at feeding position and parts associated therewith; Fig. -'7 is a perspective view of a filament bucket modification; and Fig.

'8 is a side elevation of the ends of modified fila-v so ment pick-up jaws. V

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a turret lll.ha,ving buckets or containers ll distributed about the perlphery thereof inwhich the coiled filaments I2 are piled. The filaments lie parallel to each other and tangentially to the turret on the bottoms of the buckets which slope slightly downward toward the middle. The insides of the buckets are highly polished so as to cause the filaments to slide down by their own weight into a pile at the middle of the bottom. As shown in Fig. 1 z all the turret buckets except one are enclosed by housing l3 and cover I4 and are heated to keep the filaments free from moisture by heating means such as a pair of lamps (not shown) connected to plugs l5 and I6. Wires l8 furnish the current to said lamps. The housing is attached to slide l'l whereas the turret is rotatably mount- I ed on column l8 extending from said slide. The entire assembly is mounted in substantially a vertical position on bracket l9 which is mounted at each side on posts 20 (only one of which is l shown).

The filaments are fed from the exposed bucket into which the jaws 2|, 22"and 23 shown in F188- 3, 4, and 5 penetrate. This movement results from a downward movement of rod 24 to which head 25, which carries said jaws, is attached and which carries the jaws into the pile of filaments. 60

the position of deepest penetration being shown in Fig. 4. The end of jaw 22 is provided with a plurality of notchesor pockets 26 each of which may receive a portion of a filament. said notches 01' pockets preferably'comprising partially circular portions of substantially the same diameter 2| and 23, which are disposed adjacent opposite 1o sides of jaw 22, are in the open position as indicatedin the dotted lines in Fig. 4. These jaws 2| and 23 are located below washers 23 and 29 which, through-bolt 30 and nut 3|, clamp them to finger 32. The said bolt 30, carrying the finger 32 and jaws 2|, 23, is mounted between the cone points of screws 33 (only one shown) in head 25 and is held in the open 'position by wedge 35 which prevents spring 36, located between the finger 32 and screw 31 in the head, from pulling it out of position. The wedge 35 is supported on screws 38 which are mounted in holes 38' in opposite sides of the head, and during the open position said wedge is located against the said finger adjacent shoulder 39. Spring 48 extending between the wedge and a post 4| in holes 4| in the head holds it in this position.

.The downward movement of the jaws results from movement of rod 24 (Fig. 1) which is actuated by lever 42 acting through links 43, collar '30 44, spring 45 .and block 46. The block 46 is fastened directlyto rod 24 and keeps the jaws in I the correct plane by slidably engaging post 41 in bracket 48. Collar 48, which is fixedly attached to said rod 24, rides against collar 44, which is slidably mounted on said rod, until nuts 50 and 5| strike stop sleeve 52 in bracket 48. As the lever 42 continues to move farther, spring 45 is contracted and the end of screw 53 on said lever strikes the end of collar 54 and rod 55, pushing it downward. This motion causes the jaws 2| and 23 to move across the notches in jaw 22 as the wedge 35 is pushed upward into the position shownin Fig. 3 by lever 56, permitting spring 36 to pivot said jaws 2|, 23 clockwise. Lever 56 is turned about pin 51 in bracket 48 by rod 55 which is connected thereto by yoke 58. Spring 58 (Fig. 1) carries the rod back into position after the operation has been completed. Lever 42 operates about a pin 68in bracket 48 and is actuated from the face of a cam 6| located on a shaft 62. The said lever 42 is operated through link 63 by rod 64 which connects through link 65 and its fittings 66 and 61 to lever 68 on shaft 68. The lever 68 turns about the shaft 69 which is held in a bracket 10 extending between supporting posts 20 and is turned by lever H through spring 12 which extends between arm 13 on lever 68, and a post lever 1|. Lever is turned by track 14 in cam 6| which is engaged by roller 15 on a pin in the end of said lever.

As jaws 2| and 23 move across jaw 22 (counterclockwise in Fig. 4) the ends thereof, which extend beyond the end of jaw 22, sweep the filaments below said jaw 22 back until they engage a filament in one of thenotches 26 of the jaw 22 which is then firmly clamped in said notch. It will be apparent that when three notches are provided in jaw 22, there will be three chances of picking up a filament in one operation of the 70 jaws. The line of movement ofsaid jaws 2|, 23

passes through the said notches, that is, portions,

of said jaws move substantially longitudinally of the notched lateral end portion of jaw 22 and successively across the edges of said notches, so that if a filament is disposed in the first notch,

it will be gripped therein by the jaws 2| 23 which then cannot move any farther, so that only one filament will be picked up at a time. The said notches 26 are also preferably spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the filaments 5 to provide greater assurance that the uppermost filaments in the pile will be engaged in the said notch. The said jaws, with a filament gripped therebetween at its mid-point, are now moved upward into the position shown in Fig. 3, thus '1 pulling the mid-portion of said filament through slits l8, 18 (Fig. 6) formed between the front edge of a plate 16 and fingers 83, 84 mounted at the said front edge of plate I6. This action is positive all through the operating mechanism as 15 collar 44 then lies against collar 48 and arm of lever 1| moves lever 68 by engaging with the end of bolt 8| therein. At this position, a pair of needles 1.1 (one of which is shown), disposed in lines passing along each sideof the jaws, above 20 plate I6 and at an angle to the horizontal, are moved down into the position shown in Fig. 3, between the mid-portion of the filament and said plate I6. Each of said needles is embedded in an end of a rod 82 which rides in arm 83 ex- 25 tending from pin 84 (Fig. 1) of bracket 48, and are caused to move into this position by the lever 85, the flange of which strikes the end of said rod 82. This motion is against the action of spring 84' which is located between arm 83 and collar 30 85', and results from a vertical movement of sleeve 86 extending through the central column |8 of the device. The said sleeve 86 engages lever 85 through pin 81 which operates through an opening in column l8. Lever 85 operates 35 about screws 88 in a collar 88' attached fixedly to said column l8 and is actuated by lever 89 which connects to sleeve-86 through links 89 and collar 80 attached to the bottom end thereof. Lever 88 is operated about a pin 9| in bracket 10 4 through engagement of a roller 92 on an arm thereof with the edge of cam 6|. The needles H are then caused to move apart laterally to engage the outer portions of the gripped filament and pull them through the slits 18,18 which are 5 just large enough to allow one filament to pass through, thus combing said gripped filament free from other filaments below said slits which may have adhered thereto. Any adhering filaments then drop back into the bucket The needles 50 11 are operated by further movement of lever 85, the flange of which comes in contact with rollers 95 on pins 96 in lugs 91 of arms 83 which swing against the resistance of spring 81' located be tween spring posts in both of the arms 83 and 55 whichcarry the arms from a position set by stop screw 88 contacting with arm 98 of bracket 48. Plate 16 is mounted on cross bar I00 (Fig. 3) which rests on cover plate IN on bracket |03 which in turn may be mounted on a mounting ma- 60 chine (not shown) such as the one hereinbefore referred to. Each finger 93 and 84 is welded to an end of a spring plate I 84, the other end of which is attached to block I05 by screws I06 and I0! (Fig. 6) and which can be moved with respect to 65 the plate 16 to adjust the size of the slots I8, 19 by adjusting screw I08. Block I05 is attached to guide plate I08 which is fixedly mounted on bracket |03.

The jaws; 22 and 2|, 23, with a single filament 70 held therein, are carried farther upward until wedge 35 strikes the end of pin 0 (Fig. 1), at which time the filament touches fingers I08 and H0. The fingers stop the filament from vibrating. Pin H0 is resiliently mounted on a 75 spring (not shown) in arm III and moves the wedge down against shoulder 33 on finger 32 (Fig. 3), thereby opening the jaws.- The filament is released, falls onto plate I6, and thence by gravity travels down the sloping surface thereof to slide II 2 between cross bar I00 and guide plate I09. Guides H3 and H4 are provided to prevent the filament from shifting as it falls and to keep foreign matter out. Fingers I03 and I I0 are clipped to the guides which are mounted on bar I00. Slide I I2 is pulled back to deposit the filament on slide .4 (which corresponds to gate 4 of the mounting machine disclosed in the Flaws patent hereinbefore referred to). As the slide I I2 is drawn back the filament is lowered on the fingers IIS of plate I09 and fingers II 6 of slide 2 which mesh together and which deposit said filament on slide 4M in a straight and untwisted condition 'at the proper location.

' Q The slide 2 rides on bracket I03 beneath plate IM and is moved by leverhill (Figs. 1 and 3) which engages an aperture in said slide through roller II8. Lever II'I turns with pin lit which is mounted on arm I29 extending from bracket I03 and is turned by arm I22. When the slide is in the closed position, spring I23, which is located between arm I22 and a post in bracket I03, holds said arm in the proper position but when the slide is actuated, the arm is moved by roller I26 onlever 68 which strikes rod I25 mounted in said arm I22.

Means are provided forindexlng the turret I to present successive buckets It at the feeding position, although such means may be disconnected if desired. The indexing action jars the filaments in the containers or buckets ii down into position so as to settle the loose ones in place. This means is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and operates from lever 69 through universal joint I26 and rod I21. The rod is connected to arm I28 through universal joint I29 which turns freely about column Is and engages, through pawl I30, av ratchet IIZI on a vertical sleeve portion I32 of the turret It. The pawl I30 turns about pin I33 and is kept against the ratchet by spring I34 which extends between I a post in the pawl and another post I 35 In arm I28. when it is desired to have the turret remain in one position the pawl is shifted so that protuberance I36 thereon rests against post I35.

The ratchet is coupled to the turret by pin I37 and is provided with anotherset of teeth I38 which are engaged by a roller I39 to properly position the turret. The said roller I39 is mounted on pin I40 in a lever I4I which is mounted on pin I42 in bracket I43 and which is drawn against the ratchet by a spring I44. Bracket I43 is fixedly attached to column I8 and supports post I45 to which spring I44 is attached as well as a brake which prevents the turret from over running. The brake consists of band I46 which is fastened to post I45, is wrapped about a smooth part of the ratchet, and is at tached to rod I 41 passing through said post I45.

Tension isapplled to the band by spring I48 located about said rod between the post and nuts I 49 threaded on said rod. Increased tension in the brake band causes the roller I39 to snap into position more -abruptly,- thus jarring the turret more to cause the filaments to settlebetter.

. The parti'cularbuckets and jafws described may be supplanted by others shown in Figs. 7 and 8" which are particularly suitable for feeding-larger filaments. The bucket I50 differs from the end. The spring wires are provided as a "cushifications may of course be made, such as the l means for withdrawing said jaws from said pile bucket II in that one half of the bottom th of has a larger opening I5I therein and the other half has a smaller opening I52 and two tongues I53 and I54 extending along the plane of said half into the opening ISI in the other half. The 5 filament I2 lies as before across these openings, but is supported in this instance by spring wires I55 and I56 which are fastened to the back end' of the bucket and fit loosely in holes in the front 10 ion" bottom, to support the filaments .in larger opening I5I whichvis used to prevent the larger filaments from being distorted, which might happen with a small opening such as that in buckets II. The jaws difier in that jaw 22', the stationary jaw, has a plurality of vanes I 01 extending therefrom which form notches or I pockets substantially equal in width to the diameter of the filament coil and jaws 2I' and 23', the movable jaws,,are provided with notches I 53 therein for registering with the filament pocketedin jaw 22'.

' I do not wish to be limited strictly to the constructions described herein since various mod- 25 elimination of one of the jaws I 2 M23 or the provision of two jaws such as the jaw 22 with notches therein and a single jaw like M or 23 disposed therebetween.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

' 1. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination of a container for said articles, a pile of said articles being dis posed therein substantially parallel to one another, a pair of jaws, means for moving said jaws into engagement with said pile of articles, one

, of said jaws having a plurality of notches therein each adapted to receive one of said articles, the second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw, and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of said notches, said article obstructing the further movement of said jaw, and

45 of articles.

2. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, a jaw having a plurality of notches in an edge thereof each adapted to receive one of said articles, and a second jaw disposed adjacent the side of said first-mentioned jaw and mounted so as to be movable relative thereto substantially longitudinally of said notched edge thereof,

said parts being so constructed and arranged that said second-mentioned jaw moves success- 55 ively across the edges of said notches to engage an article in one of said notches, said article obstructing the further movement of said jaw and being thereby clamped in said notch.

3. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, a jaw having a plurality of notches therein each adapted to receive one of said articles, and a second jaw disposed adjacent the side of said first-mentioned jaw and mounted so as to be movable relative thereto across the edges of said notches, said second-mentioned jaw also having a notch thereinat the point where it passes across the notches in said firstementioned jaw, said parts being so constructed and arranged that said second-mentioned jaw engages an article in one of saidnotches, said articleob- -structing the further movement of said jaw and said articles, a pile of said articles being disposed therein substantially parallel to one another, a pair oi jaws, means for moving said jaws into engagement with said pile of articles, 5 one of said jaws having a plurality-of notches therein spaced aparta distance less than the diameter of said articles each adapted to receive one of. said articles,- the second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of said notches, said article obstructing the further movement of said jaw, and means for withdrawing said jaws from said pile of articles.

5. In a feeding device of the class described, a pair of scissor jaws, one of said jaws having a lateral end portion having a plurality of notches therein and the other jaw being mounted so as to extend beyond saidlateral end portion and 20 move successively across the edges of said notches.

6. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination of a container for said articles, a pile of. said articles being disposed 25 therein substantially parallel to one another, a pair of jaws, means for moving said jaws into engagement with said pile of articles, one of said jaws having a plurality of notches in the end thereof each adapted to receive one of said-v 30 articles, the second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of said notches, said article obstructing the further movement of said 35 jaw, and means for withdrawing said jaws from said pile of articles.

7. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination of a container for said articles, a pile of said articles being disposed 40 therein substantially horizontally, a pair of jaws disposed above said container, means for lowering said jaws into engagement with said pile of articles, one of said jaws having a plurality of notches in the bottom thereof each adapted to 45 receive one of said articles, the second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of said notches, said article obstructing the further 59 movement of said jaw, and means for withdrawing said jaws'from said pile of articles.

8. In a device for feeding articles of. the class described, the combination of a container for.

said articles having an aperture in a portion of the bottom thereof, a pile of said articles being disposed therein substantially parallel to one another, a pair of jaws, means for moving said jaws into said pile of articles to'the aperture in said container, one of said jaws,having a plu- 60 rality of notches therein each adapted to receive one of said articles, the second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of 65 said notches, said article obstructing the further movement of said jaw, and means for withdrawing said jaws from said pile of articles.

9. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination of a container for 70 said articles having an aperture in a portion of the bottom thereof and spring means disposed across said aperture to form a resilient bottom for a'pile of said articles being disposed therein substantially parallel to one another, a pair of 75 jaws, means for moving said jaws into said pile second jaw being disposed adjacent to said first mentioned jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches therein to engage an article disposed in one of said notches, said article obstructing the iurther movement of said jaw, and means for withdrawing said jaws from said pile of articles.

10. In a device of the class described, a jaw having a plurality of notches therein and a pair of cooperating jaws disposed adjacent opposite sides of said first jaw and movable relative thereto across said notches.

11. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination'oi a turret, a plurality of containers for said articles mounted on said turret, a pair of jaws, means for causing said jaws to advance toward one of said containers to grip one of said articles therein and to retract therefrom, means for causing said jaws to open and release said article, and means for indexing said turret intermittently in proper time relation to the feeding operation of said jaws.

12. In a device for feeding articles of the class described, the combination of a container in which said articles are disposed horizontally in a piie, a pair of jaws, means for lowering said jaws toward said container to grip one of said articles therein substantially at the middle and to retract therefrom, a plate disposed above said container having an opening therein to allow passage of said jaws therethrough and horizontal slits extending from opposite sides of said opening, said slits being large enough to permit but one of said articles to pass therethrough.

13. In a device for feeding filaments, the combination of a container in which said filaments are disposed horizontally in a pile, a pair of jaws, means for lowering said jaws toward said container to grip one of said filaments therein substantially at the middle and to retract therefrom,

a plate disposed above said container having an opening therein to allow passage of said jaws therethrough and horizontal slits extending from opposite sides of said opening, said slits being large enough-to permit but one of said filaments to pass therethrough, a pair of fingers disposed above said plate, means for moving said fingers to a position below said jaws, and means for spreading said fingers apart horizontally to pull the ends or the filament gripped by said jaws through said slits to disengage the ends of the filament from other filaments which may be adhering thereto.

15. In a device for feeding articles of the .class described, an inclined surface upon which said articles are dropped, a horizontally disposed slide, the end of said slide being located adjacent the lower edge of said inclined surface and projecting a short distance't-herebeyond to receive the article which slides down said sur- 2,089,055 5 face and having fingers depending therefrom, 'retracting said slide from said plate to cause Y said fingers' being inclined in the samegeneral the article deposited on the end thereof to slide direction as said inclined surface, a plate having down between the inner surfaces of said fingers, an inclination opposite to that of said inclined and a horizontal'surface upon which said article surface and said fingers, said plate being disis deposited as it passes down between the opened 5 posed adjacent to the end of said slide and terends oi said fingers. minating in fingers extending therebelow and JOHN FLAWSJX.

. meshing with the fingers, on said slide, means for 

